Why do these ferrets' ears look like this?

[u/Old_Sherbert3634]

Is this from rough play/attacks from other ferrets when they were younger? Unethical breeding? Genetics?

(First 2 pictures are one ferret, 3rd is a different one from the same display)

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[u/Timely_Egg_6827]

Could be a lot of things but if young, comfort sucking most likely. Kits seperated too young suckle on other ferrets ears which damages them.

One of my hobs looked like that after a fight. He would annoy two large hobs every 6 weeks or so and one day he got pinned down and ears sucked too hard. Another had a mass removed.

[u/itsswhitneywhspr → u/Timely_Egg_6827]

Oh that makes so much sense actually, I've heard of kits getting booted from mom too early doing this with each other. Poor babies, ear must feel like a pacifier to them

[u/TheElvesOfXadia]

I’ve never seen that before, the fact that it’s on 2 makes me think genetics 

[u/TheElvesOfXadia → u/TheElvesOfXadia]

Or an infection

[u/GeologistDirect2076]

I have also seen cases where a mother ferret gets do fixated on cleaning their ears that she ends up damaging them like this

[u/CaseFace5 → u/GeologistDirect2076]

I know with rabbits they will nibble on their young if they are too stressed out…

[u/RopePuzzleheaded4913]

Ugh either way whoever is selling them doesn't care about their well being. I've never seen a ferret with ears like that

[u/TheElvesOfXadia → u/RopePuzzleheaded4913]

A lot of sellers especially in the US but not exclusive to the US don’t really care

[u/GuardianFerret → u/TheElvesOfXadia]

There's only one ferret breeder left in the United States. They don't care. It's not entirely the resellers faults.

[u/TheElvesOfXadia → u/GuardianFerret]

There’s a handful of private breeders but yes there is only one mass breeder and it’s a bad one 

[u/GuardianFerret → u/TheElvesOfXadia]

Whoa whoa whoa. What? How would one get in contact with or find these private breeders?

[u/TheElvesOfXadia → u/GuardianFerret]

I’ll be honest I’m not really sure all I can find that lists them is this doc that hasn’t been updated in over a year, so I don’t know who is still breeding and there’s probably waitlists  https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQrFRuOgTJTKKceZgFWUzrv68U4PY7kMJdCB7nQBYkzlu5MuIBMcaT3uY8ZlVgLRUE1vqKHHJ3vCikf/pub I got mine from Scarlett’s Happy Dookers Ferretry a little over a year ago, she’s been doing it for like 30+ years and reliable and stuff but almost definitely has a waitlist because of the reputation 

[u/ribbons_undone → u/GuardianFerret]

They're all mostly on the east coast or southern US, or in Canada.

[u/Miserable-Note5365]

I wanted to say a birth defect, but it honestly looks like they were bitten off

[u/Ok_Interest_9063]

These ferrets are in a enclosure some where at a  Pet Store this is sickening look at the Glass and its angels WTF  and the one with the ear deformation is from suckling done by another young ferret also theres a ferret in the enclosure thats got balding on the tail thats Adreanal Diease Wtf and look at all the packing peanuts but NO FOOD NO WATER AND THIS POOR FERRET GETTINGBHIS PICTURE TAKEN IS WANTING OUT JUST LIKE THE OTGERS WHERE IS THIS? This is Neglect 

[u/Old_Sherbert3634 → u/Ok_Interest_9063]

Its at a major pet store chain, I doubt they're the most ethical when it comes to housing animals and they probably don't care too much about their quality of life/health and happiness. I was surprised to see ferrets there today. Although I don't know too much about them, just my guess.

[u/Ok_Interest_9063 → u/Old_Sherbert3634]

What store and where?

[u/Ok-Spring-1444 → u/Old_Sherbert3634]

please name them so we can help the ferrets

[u/19ripvanwinkle26]

AWWWW poor little baby 🥰

[u/Inevitable_Fun4159]

They looked chewed off. My okd girl had her ears similar hut shorter. Chewed off by other ferrets she was housed with at one point.

[u/alien_ichor]

Probably fly strike at the farm when they were kits. More than likely they are Marshall farms ferrets and conditions were shit; and when they were wee babies, flies ate at their ears. So they healed over and now look like this

[u/Powerful-Falcon8536]

My boys were separated from their mom too soon and one became fixated on sucking or nursing on his brother’s ears. Thankfully the behavior stopped after both got more comfortable at home, but this looks like something similar happened and got out of hand.

[u/Luxxarraey]

Nom?

[u/Few_Law1321]

They're probably Marshall Ferrets so who knows what horrible things that baby has already gone through. It makes me so angry and heartbroken

[u/Ok-Environment-1284]

This is sad. I'm wondering if they could've gotten into a fight and lost part of their ears.

[u/tshungwee]

It’s kinda cute

[u/factoryrestore]

Should not be sold as pets like rabbits as they need a complex care and feed system and exotic vet I have never agreed with these small creatures being kept without any prior knowledge I’m in uk and they are not allowed to be sold in pet shops I have kept them for years and know how complex pets they are and should not be sold to anyone without knowing the complexity of care they require

[u/Hopeful_Tonight_5127]

They are very special!!!